Weapons
Introduction There are a wide range of weapons available if there was a case of zombie outbreak. Picking the right weapons can be a life or death decision. This page will help you decide which weapons would suit different circumstances. A basic rule of thumb though: no matter how cool a potential weapon seems, the more complex it is (i.e. if it has moving parts, requires fuel or chemicals etc..), the more likely you are going to get yourself killed trying to kill zombies with it. Also, try to go with weapons that can be used practically in non-combat situations. An example would be how an ax can chop wood. And most importantly, you can only kill a zombie by destroying it's brain, so avoid weapons that are designed to kill by damaging organs, the respritory, the circulatory, the digestive or nervous systems, since a walking corpse needs none of these to survive. Firearms A firearm is a weapon that fires either single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced through rapid, confined burning of a propellant. Because of the power of most firearms, with enough skill you will be able to take zombies out with a single shot from a safe distance. However, firearms require ammunition, which can weigh a person down, and they make noise, which can attract nearby zombies. When choosing a firearm, it is always advised that one selects a weapon that fires a common ammunition type and has low to medium recoil. High-powered rounds will strain the shooter, and exotic ammunition may be difficult to find during a crisis. Handguns Handguns are weapons that are designed to be drawn, aimed and fired with one hand. They are usually small, light, and have low recoil, making them easy to carry and use. However, they are also fairly difficult to aim at long range, especially at a target as small as a zombie's head. They are best suited to close encounters and indoor combat. The two types of handguns are semi-automatic pistols and revolvers. Semi-auto pistols can fire as quickly as one can pull the trigger, and are fed through detachable magazines. They can hold a great deal of ammo (most 9mm magazines hold 15 rounds), and they can be affixed with silencers to reduce the noise that they make. However, the higher number of moving parts makes semi-auto handguns jam far more easily. Revolvers are fed through a chamber that rotates whenever the gun is cocked. They are known for being extremely reliable, low-maintenance weapons - in fact, it is often said that a revolver will absolutely never jam, no matter how much abuse it is put through. Also, revolvers are often chambered for more powerful rounds than their semi-auto counterparts, such as the venerable .357 Magnum. However, revolvers hold less ammunition than semi-autos (most revolver chambers hold only 6 rounds), and can take longer to reload. Recommended handguns include semi-autos chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, and revolvers chambered in .38 Special and .357 Magnum (the latter is preferred, as it can also fire .38 rounds without a problem). All of these rounds are common, have low to medium recoil, and are powerful enough to kill with one shot to the head. Larger calibers, such as the .44 Magnum and the .50 AE, typically constitute overkill against a zombie at anything less that the outer limits of a conventional pistol's range. Of particular note are rimfire handguns chambered in the .22 Long Rifle cartridge (or rimfire). Though underpowered by conventional standards, the round is easy to transport (fifty rounds can fit in the palm of your hand), plentiful (no self-respecting gun store would fail to carry it), has negligible recoil, noise, and muzzle flash, and is effective at the close-quarters ranges where the handgun comes into its own. It also can fragment or ricochet inside of an organic target, causing tremendous trauma. This is especially handy with a headshot. THE HANDGUN IS THE WORST WEAPON POSSIBLE AGAINST ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rifles Rifles are firearms that are designed to hit targets at long range. There are four types of rifles: bolt-action rifles, lever-action rifles, semi-auto rifles, and assault rifles. With bolt-action rifles, fresh cartridges must be loaded into the chamber through manual operation of the bolt. With lever-action rifles, cartridges are manually loaded through the operation of a lever near the trigger guard. Semi-auto rifles automatically load cartridges whenever the trigger is pulled. Finally, assault rifles are selective-fire weapons that can fire in either semi-auto or full-auto modes. Rifles are among the best anti-zombie weapons for one simple reason: their long range. A single sharpshooter with one rifle can bust multiple zombie heads from over one hundred meters away before the zombies even have time to turn around and start walking to his or her position. In addition, it is easy to learn how to aim and fire a rifle, and most rifles allow for the addition of scopes to improve accuracy even further (see the sniper rifle section below). One's choice of rifle depends on personal preference - the slower fire rate of bolt-action and lever-action rifles can make the user less likely to shoot wildly in a panic, while semi-auto and assault rifles can take down zombies more quickly. However, when using an assault rifle, it is important to only use it in semi-auto mode, as full-auto fire only wastes ammo against zombies. Also, some longer rifles may prove to be fairly bulky in close quarters. Common rifle rounds include the .223 Remington/5.56x45mm NATO, the .30-30 Winchester, the 7.62x39mm Soviet M43, the .303 British, the .30-06 Springfield, and the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. Sniper rifles Sniper rifles are rifles that are designed to hit targets from very far away. Most sniper rifles are bolt-action, although there are some semi-automatic models that allow for higher fire rates in exchange for reduced accuracy due to recoil. A basic sniper rifle is easy to create - you simply attach a scope to a regular rifle. However, a specially-designed sharpshooting weapon will possess greater accuracy and range than a regular scoped rifle, and some are capable of hitting targets from over a kilometer away. If you plan on surviving the zombie apocalypse in a fortified structure or a wide open area, then it is highly recommended that you get a sniper rifle. However, if you are going to spend most of your time on the run, then it's advised that you look for another weapon - sniper rifles are tricky to aim at close range, and they are often bulkier than regular rifles. Carbines Carbines are similar to rifles, only shorter and usually with lesser range. They were originally designed for mounted cavalry units, but later adapted for rear-echelon units and special forces units such as paratroopers. Thanks to their versatility in urban combat, they have been seeing more use among front-line troops. They are available in many forms - some, such as the Hi-Point 995 and the Beretta Cx4 Storm, are designed to fire pistol rounds, while others, such as the M4A1 and the AKS-74U, are basically shortened rifles. Like rifles, they are easy to aim, making them good weapons for those unskilled with firearms. In particular, pistol-caliber carbines have extremely low recoil and make less noise than rifle-caliber weapons. The smaller size and lighter weight of a carbine makes it easier to carry and manipulate in close quarters than a full-size rifle, although the shorter barrel also limits its accuracy and effective range, while the reduced weight increases its recoil (something for smaller shooters to keep in mind, especially when considering a rifle-caliber carbine). Shotguns Shotguns are commonly found in three varieties: break-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic. Break-action shotguns have hinged barrels, and are reloaded through opening the hinge and exposing the breech, allowing for old shells to be removed and new ones to be inserted. Break-action shotguns usually hold two rounds (double-barrel shotguns), although single-shot variants can be found. Pump-action shotguns are operated through a pump mechanism that ejects spent shells and loads new ones into the chamber. Semi-automatic shotguns are capable of firing as quickly as one can pull the trigger. They can fire faster, but they have more recoil, and as with all semi-auto weapons, it is easier to waste ammo when panicking. While they are often glamorized in zombie films and games as the ultimate zombie-killing weapons, shotguns are not perfect weapons. First, they have a shorter effective range and less accuracy than rifles and carbines. Secondly, the ammunition for a shotgun is bulkier than pistol or rifle ammunition. Third, reloading a shotgun takes a lot of time, no matter what type it is. Finally, shotguns, particularly 12 gauge shotguns, have a tremendous recoil, which can startle and even injure an inexperienced or weak shooter. However, a shotgun can be very useful for pushing zombies back, for blowing open doors, or for fighting living humans that may pose a threat. Also, shotguns are versatile in the ammo that they can fire. Slugs, for example, eliminate most of the problems that shotguns have with range, while birdshot and buckshot can be used for hunting game in a survival situation. If one is to use a shotgun for fighting zombies, he or she should do so with a knowledge of the weapon's limitations. It is recommended that a less-powerful ammunition type, such as 20 gauge, be used instead of the more powerful 12 gauge, especially if the shooter is of a smaller stature. 20 gauge shells have less recoil, they take up less space that can be used for other things, they are readily available, and they will still stop an attacker cold at the close ranges that a shotgun is used at. It is also recommended that a shotgun's barrel (but not its stock, which is necessary for absorbing the recoil) be sawed down to a reasonable length. A sawed-off shotgun is easier to carry and to aim in close quarters, and the reduced range and accuracy matters little for a weapon that is primarily used at close range. However, one must be careful if they attempt to modify any weapon, if the modification is not done correctly, it may reduce the weapons effectiveness or outright destroy it. Shotguns are best used like pistols - in close quarters and in indoor environments. Shotguns and ammo are very easy to find, as they are common police, home defense, and hunting weapons in most countries. Sub-machine guns Sub-machine guns are compact automatic weapons that fire pistol-caliber rounds. They are easy to use and carry, they usually hold large amounts of ammunition (about 30 rounds per clip), and the ammo is fairly common. They are comparable to pistol-caliber carbines in power, range, and accuracy. However, unlike most of the above weapons, they are not available to civilians, which will make it difficult for most people to obtain them. (As SWAT and special forces teams are overrun, however, it may become easier to obtain one of these weapons.) Also, when using a sub-machine gun, it is important to keep it on semi-auto mode, as fully automatic fire is only a waste of ammo against zombies. The temptation to go full auto may be an argument against the use of these weapons by some people. Machine guns The primary use of a machine gun is to lay down suppressing fire to scare the enemy and get them to take cover. And zombies don't get scared. It's best to just forget about using these weapons. They're difficult to aim, fully automatic fire is a waste of ammunition (why fire ten shots into the torso and limbs to cripple the zombie, when one in the brain will actually kill it?), and even "light" machine guns like the M249 SAW are often much bigger and heavier than rifles. The only reason to use one is if you see it lying around, there's a big crowd of zombies after you, and the ammo can't be used in any of the guns that you're carrying. After you're done, just drop it and leave it behind. Bows Unless your name is Ted Nugent, Green Arrow, or John Rambo, it's not recommended that a bow be used in a survival situation, especially one involving zombies. The advantages of this weapon (they're silent, the ammo can be reused) are outweighed by its flaws. They require a lot of training and strength to use effectively (and even then, try getting a headshot against a moving target), they have a limited range, they have bulky ammunition, they have a slow fire rate, and if you get injured, you may be unable to use your main weapon. There's a reason why guns replaced bows on the battlefield - it requires much less training to use a firearm than a bow and arrow. And no, don't even try to put an explosive tip to the weapon. The weighted arrow will probably only fly far enough to blow you into bite-sized nuggets. In lieu of exploding or armor piercing arrows, try using lit fire arrows. They don't need headshots and ensure a slow but guaranteed kill. The usual benefits and limitations of using fire applies. Crossbows The main advantage of a crossbow over a rifle is that it is extremely quiet. When one realizes how well a zombie can hear a distant gunshot, this makes the weapon very useful for someone looking to evade zombies instead of fighting them. Also, it eliminates the main problem that the traditional bow and arrow has as a survival weapon: it does not require a great deal of strength and training to use. And again, the ammo can be retrieved from dead zombies. The crossbow also has a surprising amount of stopping power, capable of stopping large boar in one shot, depending on the strength of the crossbow and the size of the bolt. Several modern crossbows also allow for the addition of scopes or laser sights. However, it still has the slow fire rate, bulky ammunition, and limited range that the bow suffers from. Consider the crossbow as a weapon if your survival plan involves evading the zombies rather than fighting them outright. Flamethrowers Though it would seem like an awesome idea to use these portable fire-breathing dragons to incinerate a whole horde of Z's, flamethrowers are not particularly effective weapons when it comes to combating zombies. Firstly, being explosive and flammable, flamethrowers are dangerous to your safety as well as the safety of those around you. Although fuel is easy to come by, the combustability of the fuel makes it dangerous to handle. Secondly, fire is not an effective way to kill zombies. Flamethrowers were designed as a part terror/part vaccum weapon, intended to suffocate enemy combatants trying to hide in caves by burning up all their oxygen. Although fire will eventually incinerate the zombie, by this time it will probably have already attacked you, setting you on fire in the process. Shooting a zombie will only turn it into a shuffling, fuel-soaked torch, and while it's busy cooking it will set fire to everything it touches, which is not a good idea if you're trying to barricade yourself in your house. Third, flamethrowers have a relatively short range compared to guns, and are therefore only effective at the ranges where it would be more effective to use a handgun or a melee weapon. Fourth, the US military stopped making flamethrowers shortly after World War II, and retired them from service after Vietnam. Finally, what made flamethrowers so effective was the fear and pain they inflict upon the enemy. Since zombies feel neither pain nor fear, the effectiveness of a flamethrower is reduced almost to the point of uselessness. Fifth, the flamethrower weighs over seventy pounds, so do you really want to lug that around everywhere you go? Bottom line, flamethrowers are not effective when it comes to combating the undead, only disposing of them. Better used against huge, tightly-packed swarms you are fleeing from. Sling A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone. A sling has a small cradle or pouch in the middle of two lengths of cord. The sling stone is placed in the pouch. Both cords are held in the hand, then the sling is swung and one of the two cords is released. This frees the projectile to fly on a tangent to the circle made by the pouch's rotation. The sling derives its effectiveness by essentially extending the length of a human arm, thus allowing stones to be thrown several times farther than they could be by hand. The sling is very inexpensive, very lightweight, easy to build, silent, and you can find ammo for it practically anywhere. It has historically been used for hunting game and in combat. The sling was the weapon of choice for shepherds in the field due to its usefulness for fending off other animals, and an expert could easily bring down a lion with one well-placed stone. The most famous story of the use of a sling is that of the child shepherd David, where unarmoured and equipped only with a sling, defeats the giant warrior champion Goliath with a well-aimed shot to the head. While this may seem like perfect qualifications for use agianst zombies, there are imoprtant disadvantages you need to consider first. A sling is not as accurate as a rifle, and even with years of practice even an expert slinger will have considerable difficulty hitting a human head at long range with enough force to do serious damage, and that's just with one that stands still! You may be thinking "well if a little boy could do it, it can't be that hard". Remember, David was a shepherd for a living, meaning he practiced every day with his weapon. And when he faced Goliath, he still probably had God's help making that famous shot, even then he didn't kill him with that rock (Goliath was still wearing a helmet), requiring David to use Goliath's own sword to finish the job. So unless you are already an expert with the sling, it's probably better to just use a gun. Slingshot Made famous by the likes of Dennis the Menace and Bart Simpson, the slingshot uses the same principle as the sling. The forked Y-shaped frame has two rubber strips attached to the uprights, leading back to a pocket for holding the projectile. While easier to use and far more accurate than the sling, these advantages come at the cost of power and range. A slingshot barely has the power to brusie, let alone damage a human skull. If you were to use it against a zombie, all you would do is get it's attention. Blowgun Since poison does not effect the undead, forget this one entirely. Mêlée weapons Mêlée weapons are used in hand-to-hand fighting. They can range from simple tools to long blades designed for combat. Since ammunition will become increasingly difficult to come by, it is important to keep a quality close-quarters weapon handy. Bludgeons Bludgeons are weapons that do damage through blunt force trauma. Such weapons can be found almost anywhere, even if you have to use a fallen tree branch. Finding one that can take repeated punishment of smashing zombie skulls is a bit tricker. Crowbars This is an incredibly useful weapon. Not only can you bash zombies with it, but you can drive the curved end down through a zombie's head, killing it instantly. On top of that, crowbars can be used for their original purpose - prying things open. They are also quite durable, and are readily available from any hardware store. Its only drawback may be its limited range. Baseball bats Baseball bats are big, they have a long reach, they have a lot of power, and they can be found anywhere baseball is played (which is to say, anywhere in the United States). However, killing a zombie with a bat takes a great deal of upper body strength - the kind that steroid-fueled baseball players have. For most people, it will take several strong blows to the head after knocking the zombie down to kill it. For this reason, it's advised that you only use it if you're fighting one zombie at a time. Wooden bats are preferable due to their increased weight and durability - a lightweight aluminum bat will get turned into a useless piece of slag in no time. Baseball bats are most commonly found in sporting goods stores and at baseball fields, though they can also be found in homes, often as ad-hoc home defense weapons. Golf clubs Easily found in homes and sporting goods stores throughout the U.S., these are better used against the living than the living dead. Don't plan on using your lucky 9-iron on an attacking ghoul, unless you plan to make him look funny with that 9-iron wrapped around his neck as he starts biting your face off. Cricket bats Popularized by Shaun of the Dead, cricket bats can be found throughout Britain and other cricket-playing countries. They are similar to the American baseball bat, and slightly more durable, but with many of the same problems. When using one, consider using the narrow end to hit zombies with - it will increase the pressure on the skull, making it easier to crush it. However, doing this may strain the bat. It HAS been proven that a cricket bat is stronger than both a wooden or aluminum baseball bat. Police batons, nightsticks, and Tonfas A police officer's baton is designed to wound people, not kill them. It doesn't have the necessary power to crack a human skull. Best to ignore these, unless the situation dictates that you get out of an area as quickly as possible, leaving you little time to kill each and every zombie, in which case these would be useful in knocking aside ghouls in your way. The tonfa is slightly more recommended. Pipes Pipes are generally to be found anywhere there is plumbing, which is basically anywhere a human would inhabit. There are several varieties of piping coming in a variety of different materials. These include lead, copper, iron, steel and PVC plastic. Ideally, the best piping to use as a weapon would be any pipe with a heavy weight. Steel and lead pipes would be best suited for the task of bashing heads, although, like bats, they still require a great deal of upper body strength. Iron pipes are somewhat rare these days and copper pipes are typically not very thick. PVC piping should be ignored altogether. While durable and light to carry around, the PVC piping would probably do little more to a human target than inflict a headache or a broken nose, which is useless in the face of the unfeeling undead. Carpenter's hammers The way that a carpenter's hammer is weighted makes it easy to drive it through a zombie's skull. However, its short reach means that you will have to get uncomfortably close to a zombie to kill it. Consider switching to a better weapon when you find one. If you're fortifying a building, however, a hammer is invaluable for putting up and maintaining defenses. They can be found in hardware stores and in the average garage. Sledgehammers Sledgehammers are generally used in demolitions and heavy construction work. With a heavy end weighing as much as ten pounds connected to a long two-to-three foot pole, it can bash through a brick wall if given enough time and smash an unprotected skull like an over-ripe pumpkin. However, they are massively impractical weapons. Unless you're John Henry reincarnated (or have been working on the railroad all the live-long day for the past 20 years), you're going to get tired quick. And ten to one says you're already exhausted lugging the thing around everywhere. Every swing will also take precious time to recover from. So unless you plan on knocking down a lot of dry-wall, you should probably stick to a smaller hammer. Pickaxes Pickaxes are tools used primarily in agriculture, mining, and stone-cutting. The iconic pickaxe is a two-pronged tool with a flat spade-like end and a spike. However, most are simply two "picks" or a single pick. Its history extends to prehistoric times. It's no longer used as a mining tool in most countries, who opt to use machines and explosives. However, it is still used as a home utility tool for cutting weeds. Although either end can do serious damage to a zombie if used to hit in the head (or a human, to anyone who has seen My Bloody Valentine films), their relative rarity these days, coupled with their heavy weight, make them generally undesirable. Tire irons Tire irons are used to replace flat tires in emergencies by prying the edge of a tire away from a wheel, typically coming in pairs. Since most are made of metal and have both heavy and blunt ends, they are sometimes depicted as ad-hoc weapons. In a zombie outbreak, the tire-iron is as effective as a crowbar, due to its similar shape. Although it can't pry open doors, it can be used to change tires, which can be important if you're using a car. If you can't find a crowbar, a tire iron makes for a great substitute. Maces Maces are large weapons used by various nations across the globe during the Middle Ages. If ever there were a zombie outbreak in medieval Europe, the knights (or priests, since internal injuries were considered the provence of God) who knew what they were doing would probably be using these. A single swipe of a well-made mace can cave in a steel helmet and the head unfortunate enough to hide under it. Its pronged (sometimes spiked) knob is also capable of breaking even the thickest bones. However, as may be expected, maces are somewhat rare these days. And being the heavy weapons they are, much skill and strength are required to use and carry them. A related weapon, the ball-and-chain-on-a-stick called the flail, has a similar effect, although you are just as likly to hurt yourself as you are zombies if you don't know what you're doing. However, if you can find one and have the considerable body strength required to effectively wield it, you have yourself a great close-range zombie-smasher. Bo Bo are extremely long wooden or metal poles. These were the weapons of legendary Shaolin monks and one of the four primary weapons of Chinese Martial arts. The wooden Bo is deceptively effective at breaking limbs and heads, the metal versions even more so. However, it's generally not advised, as unless you are one of the aforementioned Shaolin, you're more likely to kill yourself with the bloody thing than any of the shambling re-animated. Chopping weapons Tools meant for chopping through thick material have the advantage of being made for heavy use, which means that they are very unlikely to break when you're using them against zombies. This makes chopping weapons ideal for fighting zombies with. Machetes Machetes are built for chopping through thick material, such as brush and wood, or as seen in some Third World countries and slasher films, flesh and bone. What's more, they are made for constant use. This means that, unlike most other sword-like weapons, machetes are very useful for zombie combat, as they can be used to decapitate zombies, split their skulls, or sever their limbs to make them easier to kill, all while requiring relatively little maintenance. Also, they're lightweight and easy to use, and they can be used for utility purposes, such as clearing brush or chopping wood. This blade stands next to the crowbar as one of the most useful melee weapons in a zombie apocalypse. As with any weapon, be sure to choose a high-quality machete, preferably one made of high-carbon steel. They can be found in most hardware and agricultural stores, even at your local Wal-Mart. Axes An axe can prove to be a very deadly weapon in the right hands. They are meant for cutting through thick, heavy material, which is why loggers and firemen alike still use them on a daily basis. They can easily split a zombie's skull in two with a single blow, and they have a long reach. However, they are also fairly heavy, and if you miss, it can take a while to set up another swing. If you're in very good shape, then consider this as a weapon. Axes can be found at hardware stores, fire stations, and logging sites. Hatchets Hatchets are like small axes. Their shorter length means that they're lighter, and that it's easier to hit a zombie's head with the cutting edge. However, this also means that you have to get a bit closer to the zombie to swing at it. Overall, this is a good choice of weapon for people who aren't strong enough to swing an axe. Stabbing weapons Stabbing weapons are designed to pierce enemies, causing blood loss and damage to internal organs. Against zombies, stabbing weapons are to be driven into the skull. Knives A knife is a sharp blade, typically about four to ten inches long, attached to a handle. Two factors limit the usefulness of knives against zombies. First, their short reach requires one to get in close in order to attack, which presents a great deal of danger. Second, a knife can get stuck in a zombie's skull with difficult means of removing it (the short handle doesn't help much), leaving you vulnerable to attack. However, although knives are not great against zombies, it is important to keep one on you, as they are great for utility purposes (cutting rope, food, fabric, etc.) and for fighting off bandits. Trench knives A combination of brass knuckle handgrip with a long spike or knife blade on one end, these are the best weapon to use if you are forced into close-quarter combat with the living dead. Originally developed for trench warfare in World War I, the brass knuckle can bash a human skull with enough force, and the knife or spike can puncture a metal helmet - to say nothing of a skull - with ease. The trench knife is small, lightweight, and due to its grip, easy to pull out, making it a very effective hand-to-hand weapon. Unfortunately, they are extremely rare nowadays, as very few were made after World War I. The few that do exist are most likely not in any condition to be used in combat, due to the fact that they are ninety-year-old museum pieces. If you want a good trench knife, you may have to have one custom-ordered before the zombie apocalypse. And be careful about this, since the manufacture, sale, and ownership of trench knives is very illegal in the United States. Spears The spear is one of the most basic of human weapons. Spears with flint heads were first used by Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man over 10,000 years ago, and were later used to great effect by Greek and Roman infantry in the classical age. Today, most spears are relegated to ceremonial roles, or are used by indigenous tribes in remote corners of the world. The spear offers a great range advantage over other melee weapons, with some exceeding three to five feet, and they are as easy to create as sharpening a broom handle or duct-taping a sharp object to the end of one. However, one can only stab with a spear, and once a zombie closes in, the spear becomes less effective. When using a spear, try aiming for the eye socket, or under the jaw so that you can drive it up into the zombie's skull. Throwing a spear like a javelin is not advised, as it is nearly impossible to hit a target as small as a human head. Halberds, Bills, Voulges, Jis Poleaxes Poleaxes are basically a small two bladed axe on a very long stick. Obviously there is some open field potential to decapitate zombies with such a weapon but there are many problems that would be detrimental. For one there are very few if any in existence and those are probably show pieces. Secondly they will require a high level of skill to use well and a long stick will break over time due to the centrifigul forces associated with such combat. Naginata, Guandaos, Glaives, and War Scythes Combining the cutting power of a curved sword with the reach of a spear, these are highly recommended if you are in an open field, but should switch to something shorter when indoors. Bayonets Bayonets effectively allow your rifle or shotgun to double as a spear. It's main advantage over a regular spear is that it does not take up as much space, due to the fact that it is attached to your main firearm. However, bayonets increase the length of a gun, which makes them less effective in tight, indoor areas, and they have the potential to cut and possibly infect their users. Ultimately, it's up to the personal preference of the one using the weapon. Javelins Just as old as the spear, the javelin is a small, narrow, lightweight, spear-like weapon designed primarily for throwing. Most javelin's are smaller in size than spears, with narrower bodies and heads. They were originally designed as hunting weapons, but later became military weapons. They evolved over time with the spear, and were used by many ancient armies, as well as by such societies as the Aztec and the Zulu. Javelins continue to be used today, namely by aboriginal tribes in remote areas of the world as a traditional weapon, and for recreational and sports purposes, with the Javelin Toss a recognized Olympic event. At first glance, the javelin is identical to the spear. However, to make a proper throwing weapon, the javelin must be properly weighted, or it will fall short or be inaccurate. This makes it much more difficult for the lay-person to craft, as for most the art of making a javelin has been lost. However, sports javelins made of lightweight composite materials are something of a specialty item in most sporting equipment stores. Even then, it requires a good deal of skill to throw with accuracy. The javelin can be very difficult to use as an anti-zombie weapon. While utterly silent, it is very difficult to hit a target in the head with one. Also, while a low-quality but reasonably effective spear can be created using household objects, a javelin requires precise crafting in order to fly far and be accurate. Overall, unless you are a skilled expert and are engaging a small number of zombies, it is recommended that some other weapon be used, such as a suppressed firearm or crossbow. Shaolin spade The Shaolin spade is a Chinese weapon consisting of a long pole with a flat, spade-like blade on one end and a smaller, crescent-shaped blade on the other. In pre-Communist China, Buddhist monks often carried spades (shovels) with them when traveling. This served two purposes: they could bury any corpses they found with the proper Buddhist rites, and they could defend themselves against bandits. Over time, they were stylized into the monk's spade weapon. Extremely effective against the undead, as the crescent-shaped blade can easily decapitate any ghoul. However, you are even less likely to find one of these (battle-ready or prop) than a sword. Long blades Long-bladed weapons come in a variety of forms, from the workman-like machete (described above) to the elegant Japanese katana. Be careful, as most "swords" you may find are merely props, and are likely to lose their edge or even break after only a few decapitations. Even if you do find an actual battle-ready sword or even a well-preserved medieval sword, keep in mind that most knights or samurai were lucky to see combat only a few times in their lives. As a result, their swords were only suitable for occasional use. (Swords made in more turbulent times, such as the Crusades, the Thirty Years' War, or the Sengoku period may be the exception to this rule.) Swords also require constant maintenance (cleaning, oiling, polishing, and sharpening), and if you're caught in infested territory, you will simply not have the time to do this. Also, there are other effective weapons which can be used for non-combat uses (axes, crowbars, etc.), while the sword's only purpose is in combat against other living humans. Katanas Katanas are the much-celebrated traditional sword of the Japanese people. Once the weapon that samurai would live and die by, katanas are now largely show pieces and ceremonial objects. A well-made katana is a highly effective weapon for battling the walking dead. Its light weight and very sharp edge means that it can easily cut through unarmored enemies (the comparative scarcity of iron in Japan meant that the Japanese never developed heavy plate armor like the Europeans). However, it requires a great deal of training and care to use safely and effectively. Also, most of the katanas found in the West are mass-produced in China, and are not particularly well made - a true katana made using traditional methods is a very difficult weapon to find, and will most likely be extremely expensive. Don't bother seeking one out unless you live near a museum, or have a traditional, authentic Japanese katana as an heirloom or ceremonial weapon. Note: If you somehow manage to aquire an authentic Muramasa sword, consider yourself blessed. European long sword The staple of a European knight, these swords are large and heavy two-handed weapons designed to kill horses and armored soldiers. They should have no problem cutting a zombie cleanly in half. However, like the katana, these swords require a great deal of training and maintenance, and truly combat-ready swords are hard to find outside of museums (and most of those are so old as to be nearly useless anyway). Compared to the machete or the katana, European long swords are ultimately overkill against zombies. European swords were designed to be very heavy, almost like a cross between a sword and a heavy club, in order to cleave through plate-mail armor. Meanwhile, the katana were designed for use against enemies that were wearing little armor. While a European sword might do more raw damage to a zombie, it just isn't necessary; you only need to destroy the brain, and a katana could do the same job just as easily. The difference is that, using a heavy European sword, you'll tire yourself out much faster. Most zombies won't be wearing anything close to plate armor, so unless the zombie happens to be wearing a metal welding mask or diving bell on his head, the katana (which was specifically designed to be used against unarmored infantry) is preferable to the European sword. Nodachi Considered the claymore of Japan, the nodachi is essentially an oversized katana. Translating into "field sword", the nodachi was used primarily against cavalry, and could easily cut a man in two. You may be thinking bigger is better, but the nodachi has most of the same problems as the European Long Sword, with the added disadvantage of having the cutting edge only on one side. Being a field sword also means you won't be taking this indoors. Still, if you are in an open space and are surrounded by Gs, a nodachi's extra length is certainly preferable. Sabres Sabres are curved blades designed for use by cavalry soldiers and officers as well as naval infantry/marines. They were designed for slashing and stabbing at enemies whilst mounted on a rapidly moving horse, and for the close confines of boarding actions against enemy vessels. However, these days, most are only used for ceremonial purposes. Before you grab one and go all Zorro on the undead, remember that sabres are built for slashing and stabbing, which is not very useful against zombies if aimed at the body. A skilled user with considerable strength may be able to decapitate or pierce the skull of a zombie, but their rarity, their mostly ceremonial status, and their specialization make them ill-advised. Chainsaws Thanks to movies like the Evil Dead series and video games, many people immediately think of chainsaws when they think of great weapons for killing zombies. This mentality will get a lot of people killed. Chainsaws are among the worst weapons for putting down the undead. A chainsaw is a complex machine, and as a rule, any machine with moving parts should be immediatly discounted as an effective melee weapon against a zombie. They're heavy (usually 10 lbs.), they're loud, they can get jammed with zombie guts, they create splatter that can get in your face and infect you, they can easily cut the person wielding it (as seen in the Dawn of the Dead remake, and the reason why loggers who use these wear special clothing), the chain can break easily (there are stories of loggers who lost limbs when the chain snapped and flew off because of a simple nail embedded in the tree), and when they run out of gas or batteries, they may as well be giant clubs. Do not, under any circumstances, consider using a chainsaw to fight even a single zombie. Explosives In a zombie outbreak explosives can be very useful tools. However, their volatile nature makes explosives dangerous to the user as well as to their potential target. Generally explosives are also hard to come by, and it is very dangerous to try to manufacture explosives without the proper training and equipment. For this reason, explosives should generally not be handled unless one posseses adequate knowledge in respect to their usage. Explosive weapons have poor effect against the living dead however, as they rely on the shock of the blast to cause a balloon effect on living organs or Sudden Nerve Trauma, and since zombies require the destruction of the brian to kill, neither of these are going to happen. When used on an undead hoard, explosive weapons arelikly to result in a lot of disfigured and dismembered (but still active) zombies. It is therefore recommended that they be used on either closely-packed hoards, or you use high-grade mining explosives. Here is a brief list of some explosives and explosive devices. Grenades Weapons-grade explosives used by both the military and special divisions of some police units. There is a wide variety of grenades, ranging from fragmentation grenades, to smoke grenades and flash grenades (flashbangs). Although relatively easy to use, grenades, especially high explosive grenades, are hard to come by. However, if local police and military forces have been overwhelmed grenades may be possible to attain. Grenades are increasingly effective when fired from some kind of launcher, as it keeps the grenade at a safe distance for detonation. As with all explosives, grenades should be handled with extreme care, used preferably by those with proper knwoledge and experience (such as ex cops, veterans, or police/military personnel). Grenades's use on Zombies (Max Brooks) is dubious at best. Fragmentation grenades will usually only shread a zombie's body and organs and knock it over, unless one of the fragments or the blast itself damages the head and brain. A flashbang grenade, unless inserted into a zombie's mouth, is going to have even less of an effect, as a ghoul dosen't need sight or hearing to find prey. Poison gas will have no effect at all, and incindiary grenades will only serve to turn the zombie into a shambling torch. C4 A very powerful type of plastic explosive containing RDX. C4 is relatively easy to store and handle, though it is both difficult and dangerous to arm a C4 bomb. The equipment needed to arm a C4 bomb is hard to come by, as is the C4 itself. Homemade C4 is very dangerous to create, and is also quite unstable. Although useful for setting traps, C4 should only be handled by experts (such as military personnel or ordinance disposal officials). Pipe Bombs A type of homemade bomb, consisting of low explosives packed tightly into a pipe. The bomb is usually a short section of steel water pipe containing the explosive mixture and closed at both ends with steel or brass caps. A fuse is inserted into the pipe with a lead running out through a hole in the side or capped end of the pipe. Pipe bombs can create relatively large explosions, the shrapnel caused by the fragmentation of the pipe adding to its lethality. Pipe bombs are much easier to manufacture than C4, grenades, or other military grade explosives; though it is very dangerous to do so. Although pipe bombs can be useful tools, making them can be more dangerous than the zombies you'll be using them against. Molotov Cocktails A type of homemade incendiary weapon, usually consisting of petrol contained in a glass bottle with a cloth wick protruding out of the top. They are safer to manufacture than pipe bombs, though they are dangerous to handle when lit. Although easy to use and create, molotov cocktails are rather ineffective against zombies, due to the fact that they take a fairly long time to kill a zombie, and until that time you'll have to deal with a zombie that sets everything it touches ablaze. Also, if thrown directly at a zombie, it's likly to bounce off harmlessly without breaking, depending on what kind of bottle you use. Be very careful about where you throw these fireballs-in-a-bottle, as you are likly to set fire to whatever structure you are taking refuge in. However, molotov cocktails can be useful in the safe disposal of infected corpses or infected zombies. Land Mine Land mines are very useful for defending positions against conventional enemies. However, most mines are designed as anti-vehicle with a limited anti-personel capacity. Mines are designed to wound, not kill, by blowing off a leg, both legs, or the genitals. This is so that their army can spend money patching him up, and then send him to Ma and Pa civilian so they can look at their boy every day and wonder if fighting this war is a good idea. Zombies have no Ma and Pa civilian back home. The most these hidden bombs are going to do is create a lot of crawling, dismembered G's, which presents a hidden danger, especially in grassy fields where you are likely to step onto a zombie you wouldn't have seen otherwise. There is also the danger of unmarked minefields, which pose far more of a danger to the living than the living dead. If against all reason you do decide to use land mines, for the love of God please visually mark them so other people don't step on them, since zombies are going to wander onto an active minefield weather they are marked or not. Laser Weapons "He's dead Jim." Yes, thanks to Ronald Regan's "Star Wars" initiative, we now have Particle Beam Weapons, or laser cannons for the layman's useage. And it would seem as if they would be the perfect weapons in the war against the living dead: from a safe distance you could easily vaporize thousands of zombies in mere moments, just like War of the Worlds. Unfortunately, they're incredibly ineffecient, requiring vast amounts of power relative to rate at which they kill zombies. Unless you're dealing with advanced artillery-scale lasers that can take out a city block, truck-mounted lasers just aren't that efficient and against a river of undead, you'll get overwhelmed. Here are at least two noteworthy Particle weapons from World War Z: THEL THEL, or Tatical High Energy Laser is a weaponized deuterium fluoride laser developed in a joint research project of Israel and the U.S. The size of a WWII-era searchlight, it is designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles from unfriendly nations. It ifs the closest mankind has come to the Death Star's superlaser from Star Wars. When used on one or several zombies, it will have an awesome effect that you'll have see to believe. On high setting, it will vaporize the flesh right off a G, leaving a skeleton that shatters to dust a moment later, all of which takes 2-3 seconds. As cool to watch as this is, there are a ton of problems. First is the pricetag, this thing is massivly expensive, so don't just rush out to buy one at Wal-Mart Boba. Second, they require a massive source of power. You'll usually find these on army bases, on Hummers with a convoy of generator humvees, or mounted on the nose of a special retrofitted 747. Third, being deuterium fluoride based, it uses very highly toxic chemicals. And finally, it takes several seconds for the thing to cool down before aquiring new targets, while a skilled marksman can put down a dozen Gs in the same amount of time. So unless you can get zombies to stand still in a nice straight line, don't expect to win the zombie apocalypse with this oversized phaser. It made for an awesome movie, Fire of the Gods, but as a zombie killer, it's a dud. However, the film helped save it for it's original purposes during the Road to New York: clearing out minefields set by ignorant folk during the U.S. retreat. The mines did little good against zombies, and many which lay unmarked and untriggered posed a hazard for U.S. troops. Isreal also used it for it's origional purpose: even with swarms of zombies devouring the Earth, terrorists still found the time and resourses to launch rockets into Isreal. Solid State Laser Essentiall the same kind of laser used in industrial metal cutting, just imagine what it could do to a zombie's head! However, it requires a large amount of power and large equipment to operate, which makes it impractical to use on even a single zombie, let alone a hoard. Other Laser Weapons Theoretically, the technology used to create THEL could be adapted and miniaturized to create a handheld laser weapon, or a "ray gun" of sorts. If made, the ray gun might be able to eliminate the zombie threat completely while nullifying the necessity for headshots. However, research on portable laser weapons has been slow so far, so you shouldn't expect to see any lying around anytime soon. Still, there is always the possibility for a breakthrough that can make the vaunted laser blaster a reality.